Cold process water softener or coagulator



J. F. SEBALD COLD PROCESS WATER SOFTENER OR COAGULATOR June 19, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 8, 1952 m Mm E M E 5 El H D: E. 5 O mF/ 3 M .3 m2 2 I zz u F June 19, 1956 J. F. SEBALD COLD PROCESS WATER SOFTENER OR COAGULATOR Filed Dec.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

INVENTOR.

JOSEPH F. SEBALD 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

J. F. SEBALD JOSEPH F. SEBALD June 19, I956 cow PROCESS WATER SOFTENER OR COAGULATOR Filed Dec. 8, 1952 FIG-.5

nited States Patent 015cc 2,751,346 Patented June 19, 1956 COLD PROCESS WATER SOFTENER OR COAGULATOR Joseph F. Sebald, Bloomfield, N. J., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Cochrane Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 8, 1952, Serial No. 324,649 8 Claims. (Cl. 210-16) This invention relates to water treating apparatus and more particularly to a cold process water softener or coagulator, and an object of the present invention is to provide such an apparatus designed and constructed to provide fixed and predetermined flow of water and precipitate through the device and to prevent short circuiting of such fluid flow.

With these and other objects in view, as may appear from the accompanying specification, the invention consists of various features of construction and combination of parts, which will be first described in connection with the accompanying drawings, showing a cold process water softener or coagulator of a preferred form embodying the invention, and the features forming the invention will be specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan of the cold process water softener or coagulator.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a top plan of a modified form of the cold process water softener or coagulator.

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 indicates the receptacle or housing of the cold process water softener or coagulator. In the drawings, this receptacle 1 is shown as being of poured concrete construction as is frequently resorted to in large installations, although it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this type of construction of receptacle.

The receptacle 1 has a partition 2 placed therein which is vertical for a portion of its depth and from the lower end of the vertical portion 3 it inclines inwardly and downwardly as shown at 4, cooperating with the inclined portion 5 of the receptacle 1 to provide a chamber 6 which tapers inwardly and downwardly from both sides, as clearly shown in the drawings. A second partition 7 extends vertically through the length of the receptacle 1 in spaced relation and parallel to the vertical portion of the partition 2 and a third vertical partition 8 is placed in the receptacle 1 parallel and in spaced relation to the partition 7. An inclined partition 9 extends downwardly and inwardly from the partition 7 a predetermined distance below its upper edge and to the bottom of the receptacle 1 forming a mixing chamber 10 which is substantially triangular shaped in cross section and extends throughout the entire length of the receptacle 1. Partitions 11 and 12 extend across the mixing chamber forming an inlet chamber 13 at the upper portion of the mixing chamber 10 and a recirculation collection chamber 14 at the bottom inner corner of the mixing chamber 10. Raw water to be treated enters the mixing chamber 10 through the inlet pipe 15 and the quantity of raw water admitted to the inlet chamber 13 through the pipe 15 is controlled by a pressure actuated valve 16 of any suitable type which may be purchased upon the open market. The quantity of raw water admitted through the pressure actuated valve 16 is controlled by the level of treated water in the treated water outlet chamber 17 through the medium of a float controlled pressure creating mechanism 18 of the usual type which may be purchased upon the open market.

The raw water which enters the raw water inlet chamber 13 passes through a plurality of openings 19 in the partition 11 into the mixing chamber 10 where it mixes with a suitable chemical or coagulant delivered to the mixing chamber through the inlet pipe 20. A plurality of rotary impellers 21 are mounted on a common shaft 22 in the mixing chamber 10 and are spaced across the mixing chamber as clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. The shaft 22 is rotated by any suitable type of prime mover such as an electric motor and gear train indicated at 23 in Figure 1 of the drawings. The raw water and coagulant are thoroughly mixed in the mixing chamber 10 and passed therefrom across the lower end of the partition 7 into the space 24 between the partitions 8 and 7. An adjustable plate 25 is carried by the bottom of the partition 7 to regulate the size of the communicating opening between the mixing chamber 10 and the upflow passage 24. The upper edge of the partition 7 is notched as indicated at 25' to form a weir and the mixed water and coagulant flows upwardly through the passage 24 over the top of the partition 7 and downwardly into the passage 26 formed between the vertical portions of the partitions 2 and 7 and the inclined portion 4 of the partition 2 and the inclined partition 9. This space 26 together with the upflow passage 24 forms the precipitation chambers and from the precipitation efiluent passes upwardly into the settling chamber 6 wherein the precipitate or floc settles out of the water and passes into the floc collection chambers or spaces 28 formed along each side of the settling chamber 6 by partitions 29. The settled floc is drawn off from the floc settling chambers 28 through suitable sludge removal pipes 30.

The down flow precipitation passage or chamber 26 is divided into a plurality of longitudinally spaced individual chambers or passages 32 by a plurality of spaced vertical partitions 33 which causes longitudinally distributed separated downflow precipitation passages to the settling chamber thus providing equally distributed flow of the eflluent over the entire width of the receptacle 1 and it also prevents short circuiting of the flow of efliuent to the settling chamber 6 which might be caused by the turbulence in the water flowing through this space.

The partitions 33 provide pro-rated flow of water which prevents the outlets of the passages formed by the partitions 33 becoming clogged by floc. Should an obstruction occur in any one of the passages the hydrostatic head will build up at the discharge of the weir 25 independently of flow sufficiently to overcome resistance of flow in the passage caused by uneven distribution of floc in the chamber 6.

The recirculating compartment 14 is connected to the treated water compartment 17 through suitable piping 34 in which piping is located a recirculating pump 35. A pressure actuated valve 36 controls the flow of recirculating water from the treated water collection chamber 17 back into the recirculating chamber 14. This valve is of any approved type of pressure actuated valve which may be purchased upon the open market and it is under control of the float actuated mechanism 18 so that when the level of treated water in the chamber 17 reaches a predetermined height the valve 36 will be open and treated water will be delivered to the recirculating chamber 14. Thetreated water will pass from the recirculation chamber 14 through a plurality of openings 37 in .the partition 12 into the mixing chamber 10 where it will be mixed with the incoming raw water, the quantity of which will be reduced proportionately to the quantity of treated water recirculated.

Treated water is .drawn oif from the treated water storage or collection chamber 17 through a suitable outlet 38 and the treated water storage or collection chamber 17 .is formed by a part of the vertical portion 3 of the partition 2 and by a partition 39. The upper edges ,of both the partitions 2 and 39 are serrated as indicated at 40 to break up the fiow of the clarified treated water from the settling chamber 6 into the chamber 17.

-In the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings a wash water compartment 41 is shown formed in ,the receptacle 1 between the partition 8 and the outer adjacent wall of the receptacle. The wash water compartment 41 is open at the bottom to the upfiow precipitation passage .24 so that water may flow from the mix- .ing chamber into the wash water compartment 41 wherein the precipitations or floc will settle out of the water .and pass out of the bottom of the wash water compartment into the upflow passage 24 and be carried over with the water and floc or precipitation passing upwardly therethrough. The wash water compartment 41 has outlet and return pipes 43 and 44 respectively therein, flow through which is controlled by suitable valves 45.

In the construction ,or ,form of the invention shown in Figures 4and 5 of the drawings the cold process water softener or coagulator shown isidentical in construction with that shown in Figure l of the drawings excepting only that the wash water compartment 41 is eliminated and thus the precipitating upflow passage 24' is formed .between the partition 7 and the adjacent wall .46 of the receptacle 1. In all other respects the construction and operation of theform ofthe invention shown in Figures 4and 5 are thesameas that shown in-Figuresl to 3.

It will beunderstood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific construction or arrangement of ,parts'shown, butthatthey nay be widely modified within the invention defined ,by the claims. What is claimed is:

1. In a cold process water softener or coagulator, a receptacle embodying a mixing chamber, means for delivering raw water to said mixing chamber, means for delivering chemicals to said mixing chamber, a settling chamber in said receptacle, a precipitation space in said receptacle leading upwardly fromsaid mixing chamber anddownwardly to the lower portion of said settling chamber, and a plurality of partitions in the downwardly leading portion of said precipitation space dividing it into a plurality of individual passages extending throughout the entire depth ofthe downwardly leading portion of the precipitation space, said'reccptacle including a collection space for treated water, and an outletfor treatedswater, a partition extending across said mixing chamber and forming a raw water inletsspace independent of and separated from said mixing chamber, said partition provided with arplurality of spaced openings therein to permit flow of raw water from said raw water inlet space into said mixing chamber, and means for delivering raw water to said raw inlet water space.

2. In a cold process water softener or coagulator, a receptacle embodying a mixing chamber, means for delivering raw water to said mixing chamber, means for delivering chemicals to said mixing chamber, a settling chamber in said receptacle, a precipitation space in said receptacle leading upwardly from said mixing chamber and downwardly to the lower portion of said settling chamber, and a plurality of partitions in the downwardly leading portion of said precipitation space dividing it intoa plurality of individualpassages extending throughout the entire, depth of the downwardly leading portion of the precipitationspace, said receptacle including a collection space forstreated water, and an outlet for treated water, a partition extending across said mixing chamber and forming a raw water inlet space independent of and separated from said mixing chamber, said partition provided with a plurality of spaced openings therein to permit flow of raw water from said raw water inlet space into said mixing chamber and means for delivering raw water to said rawwater inlet space, a second partition extending across said mixing chamber and forming a recirculation water inlet space, said partition provided with a plurality of spaced openings therein to permit recirculated treated water to pass from saidrecirculated water inlet space into said mixing chamber, and means for delivering treated water from said treated water collection space to said treated water inlet space.

3. In a cold process water softener or coagulator, a receptacle embodying a mixing chamber, means for delivering raw water to said mixing chamber, means for delivering chemicals to said mixing chamber, a settling chamber in said receptacle, a precipitation space in said receptacle leading upwardly from said mixing chamber and downwardly to the lower portion of said settling chamber, and a plurality of partitions in the downwardly leading portion of said precipitation space dividing it into a plurality of individual passages, said receptacle including a collection space for treatedwater, and an outlet for treated water, an upright partition forming one wall of said precipitation space and dividing the upwardly leading portion thereof from the downwardly leading portion, said downwardly leading portion of the precipitation space inclining inwardly and downwardly to the bottom of said settling chamber, the upper edge of saidupright partition being notched for directing water and precipitate from the upwardly leading portion into the downwardly leading portion of said precipitation space.

' 4. In a cold process water softener or coagulator, a receptacle embodying a mixing chamber, means for delivering raw water to said mixing chamber, means for delivering chemicals to said mixing chamber, a settling chamber in said receptacle, a precipitation space in said receptacle leading upwardly from said mixing chamber and downwardly to the lower portion of said settling chamber, and a plurality of partitions in the downwardly leading portion of said precipitation space dividing it into aplurality of individual passages extending througho'ut'the depth of thesdownwardly leading portion of the precipitation space, said receptacle including a collection space, for treated water, and an outlet for treated water, an upright partition forming one wall of said precipitation space anddividing the upwardly leading portion thereof from the downward leading portion, said downwardly leading portion of the precipitation space inclining inwardly and downwardly to the bottom of said settling chamber, the upper edge of said upright partition being notched, for directing water and precipitate from theupwardly leading portion into the downwardly "a restricted inlet passage at its lower end, a second partition in said receptacle spaced from and extending substantially parallel to said first partition, athird partition in saidreceptacle cooperating with said second partition to form a mixing chamber, means for delivering water to be treated to saidmixing chamber, means for delivering chemicals to said mixing chamber, said first and second partitions forming a downflow precipitation space opening 'at its lower end through the restricted inlet into said [settling chamber, said third partition forming an upfiow precipitation space opening at its lower end into said mixing chamber and at its upper end into said downflow precipitation space, a plurality of partitions arranged in 5 spaced relation across said downflow precipitation space and extending the full depth of the space to divide efiluent flowing therethrough in isolated individual streams from their entrance into the downflow space to their exit into the settling chamber, and an outlet for treated Water having communication with said settling chamber.

6. A cold process Water softener or coagulator as claimed in claim 5 including a partition extending across said mixing chamber and forming a raw inlet space independent of and separated from the mixing chamber, said partition provided with a plurality of spaced openings therein to permit flow of raw water from said raw water inlet space into said mixing chamber, and means for delivering raw water to said raw water inlet space.

7. A cold process water softener or coagulator as claimed in claim 5 including a partition extending across said mixing chamber and forming a recirculation water inlet space independent of and separated from said mixing chamber, said partition provided with a plurality of spaced openings therein to permit recirculated treated water to pass from a said recirculated water inlet space into said mixing chamber, and means for delivering treated water from said treated water collection space to said treated water inlet space.

8. A cold process water softener or coagulator as claimed in claim 5 including a partition extending across said mixing chamber and forming a raw inlet space independent of and separated from the mixing chamber, said partition provided with a plurality of spaced openings therein to permit flow of raw water from said raw water inlet space into said mixing chamber, and means for de livering raw water to said raw Water inlet space, a second partition extending across said mixing chamber and forming a recirculation water inlet space independent of and separated from said mixing chamber, said partition provided with a plurality of openings therein to permit recirculated treated water to pass from said recirculated Water inlet space into said mixing chamber, and means controlled by level of water in said treated water collection space for delivering treated water to said treated water inlet space.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,296,437 Green Sept. 22, 1942 2,348,123 Green et al. May 2, 1944 2,391,738 Prager Dec. 25, 1945 2,422,258 Prager June 17, 1947 2,429,315 Green Oct. 21, 1947 2,464,617 Sebald Mar. 15, 1949 2,509,683 Green May 30, 1950 2,678,916 Kalinske May 18, 1954 

1. IN A COLD PROCESS WATER SOFTERNER OR COAGULATOR, A RECEPTACLE EMBODYING A MIXING CHAMBER, MEANS FOR DELIVERING RAW WATER TO SAID MIXING CHAMBER, MEANS FOR DELIVERING CHEMICALS TO SAID MIXING CHAMBER, A SETTLING CHAMBER IN SAID RECEPTACLE, A PRECIPITATION SPACE IN SAID RECEPTACLE LEADING UPWARDLY FROM SAID MIXING CHAMBER AND DOWNWARDLY TO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SETTLING CHAMBER, AND A PLURALITY OF PARTITIONS IN THE DOWNWARDLY LEADING PORTION OF SAID PRECIPITATION SPACE DIVIDING IT INTO A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL PASSAGES EXTENDING THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE DEPTH OF THE DOWNWARDLY LEADING PORTION OF THE PRECIPITATION SPACE, SAID RECEPTACLE INCLUDING A COLLECTION SPACE FOR TREATED WATER, AND AN OUTLET FOR TREATED WATER, A PARTITION EXTENDING ACROSS SAID MIXING CHAMBER AND FORMING A RAW WATER INLET SPACE INDEPENDENT OF AND SEPARATED FROM SAID MIXING CHAMBER, SAID PARTITION PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF SPACED OPENINGS THEREIN TO PERMIT FLOW OF RAW WATER FROM SAID RAW WATER INLET SPACE INTO SAID MIXING CHAMBER, AND MEANS FOR DELIVERING RAW WATER TO SAID RAW INLET WATER SPACE. 